Abstract:

Using the research method of content analysis, the paper examines the teacher's handwritten records about school life from the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century stored in the Archive of the Department of Ethnology of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. The main aim of this study was to determine and classify the content of teachers' manuscripts about school life from different parts of Croatia who, as associates of the Academy, collected and recorded ethnographic material according to the Foundation for Collecting and Studying Materials on Folk Life. The specific aim was to determine the topics, their scope, similarities and differences in the perception of school life. The results of the analysis indicate similarities in the topics and their scope, regardless of the location and time of origin. Namely, in addition to the issue of the origin and functioning of the school and the literacy of the population, the attitude towards the education of children and the perception of the importance of schooling with special emphasis on gender differences are recognized as a dominant theme in school life. The mentioned topics can be related to the role and position of men and women in the family and society, and the differences in their upbringing and education. It can be concluded that by acting as collectors and recorders of ethnographic materials, including those about school life, teachers were able to better understand the cultural context in which their pupils grow up and live, as well as the context of their professional role. Based on the results obtained in this study, the paper emphasizes the relevance of applying the reshaped practice in contemporary schools.

Keywords:

School, teachers, manuscripts, attitudes towards education.